Calling my fellow Novelists…We need our own Comicsgate

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  • #203128

    Greetings and Happy New Year, my friends.

    By this time, love me or hate me, many of our regulars know that when I speak at length, I have something to say.

    I come before you today with some thoughts as we enter this new year where I believe the world of entertainment is poised to undergo a significant sea change.

    Alongside the fact that I came to these forums to meet and chat with others who felt the same way about my hobbies as I do, I also came to these forums with a professional purpose. To leave the backstory of my up and down professional life for another time, at this time in my life I have decided to fully commit to my dream of being a novelist, specifically in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I have been working and perfecting my ability at the craft since 1996 when I wrote my first fanfic, and after previous and my latest attempts at trying to get the interest of an agent, I have come to the conclusion that the woke agent network and woke traditional publishing system want nothing to do with good, traditional escapist story telling anymore.

    That being said, while in the past self publishing was basically a death sentence to a budding career, the times they have changed. We live in the era of crowd funding, and as Comicsgate has proven, a good network of like minded individuals working together in a promotion effort can lead to a thriving independent market where creators get to maintain full control over their IPs and reap the profits for themselves and those directly involve in their projects.

    That brings me to purpose of this post.

    It has been mentioned once or twice in older literary posts, but I believe there needs to be a Novelist equivalent to Comicsgate. I fervently believe that, including myself, there are other professionally ready authors/writers in this community waiting for a chance to get their stuff out there to a public hungry for good entertainment and escapism.

    That being said, simply creating a network is not enough. I believe wholly in what EVS and Jon Malin say: that you have to get out there and build your base. Be entertaining, give people a good time, and earn their trust. Then, they may be ready to hear what you have to say when you want to sell them a product.

    In the coming month, as I teach myself several of the skills I do not fully possess to do it right on a technical front, I will be starting my own YouTube channel, to be mirrored on other growing platforms, where I will attempt to do just that: entertain in with the desire to build a base that wants to read good books.

    And believe crowd funding is the way to go, because I also believe that people want to hold a real book in their hands, not slide their finger across a screen to turn a page. Behind me right now is a bookcase that holds a fraction of what my personal library used to be, and when I look at each and every one of those books I remember the times I sat there and flipped the pages as I lived in those worlds.

    So this is a call out to anyone who believes they are ready to take this next step. I ask that you join me in building this next frontier of publishing, because the traditional publishing market has failed us with good books. Yes, selling a novel to a crowd funding base is different than a comic book, which is why I am starting this conversation here and now. I have ideas, but I know I cannot do this alone. I believe that if those of us with the right passion come together, we can create our own version of Comicsgate that will revolutionize independent publishing and bring about a new age of story telling and escapism that the world desperately needs.

    If you are interested in working with me on this, feel free to talk openly in this thread.

    Or you can contact me through the this websites Direct Message system as it stands now where I will be happy to share other means of private communication I’ve set up, because I do not use Twitter, and at this time there is no reason for me to start up a Parler account. There will come a time when I do so, but now is not it.

    Thank you for taking the time to read through this, and I hope this is the beginning of something monumental.

    #203136

    Good for you.

    With all the Comicsgate have shown, and then with the Heis/Hickman’s Dragonlance lawsuit against Wizards of the Coast, and that brought on by Alan Dean Foster with Disney over unpaid royalties, the time to avoid the corporate monopolies is here and now.

    EVS has demonstrated going straight to your target audience is the way of the future for self-publishers.

    Good luck on your endeavors!

     

    #203142
    DigiCat
    Moderator

      Yay! Way to go @Roas 😄

      If you can get me to read a whole book, you’ll have accomplished mission impossible 😁

      And when you launch your youtube channel, you’ve already got your first subscriber waiting 😸

      #203167

      You publish a book and Ill buy it.
      May check the Blotube vids but since they murdered my user account I cant like or comment

      Parler is good. Rumble is good. Bitchute is acceptable barely.

      #203174

      I don’t know if my work is good enough to publish but I’m certainly interested in following the progress of a publishing system that won’t demand I fill my stories with someone’s politics.

      #203179

      Thank you all for the initial interest. This is going to be a process, and unlike comics selling a book is going to be a different beast entirely. There is nothing flashy to show off progress, etc. I have a few ideas how to possibly make it work, but selling, and I mean the concept, that first book to the public will be the biggest mountain to climb. If I, and anyone else, can get past that and give the people a successful story, then everything that comes after will be easier. Earning the trust and convincing the masses at large who are paying attention to buy something that is just words is the challenge, and that’s why I fully believe that following the path of entertaining people with a channel is what must be done.

      While the first book I plan to put out is done, I honestly do not see myself trying to crowdfund it until later this year. I believe it will take a few months to steadily earn my chance and right to sell my product, especially my a first product with nothing but my word and promise that the story is worth the time and money. What I hope is that as I do this, others with channels will simply join me on this path and we’ll all grow together. This is a ground floor event, so patience and persistence will be necessary. I’m personally committed to doing this, because at this point there is no other path for me to take.

       

      If you can get me to read a whole book, you’ll have accomplished mission impossible

       

      Well, if you like old school fantasy where there is a hero’s journey, where you get a growing cast of fun and interesting characters, and you are going to get good .vs. evil (although it will be complex) then you may like what I have to sell you, Digi. And when I say old school, I mean it. None of this dark world of gray that GRRM ushered in where there are no real good guys and everyone is a piece of shit on some level, obsessed with politics and convoluted interplay. I’m a believer of the Tolkien school of world building where the world has deep lore, but it’s not depressing. There are clear lines of good and evil, but the good and evil does have depth and varying degrees of quality.

      I could drop my back of the book blurb for you right now, but this is not the time or place. What I will say is what I’m planning on doing is creating an interconnected Universe. For the past 20 years I’ve been working in a particular series that grew out of my old D&D games with my characters. I began working with some other people who lent me their characters/ideas, and in addition I ended up using various videogame and anime IPs as supporting backgrounds with some characters that ended up staying on as supporting cast members as the stories went on.

      In April of last year, when I went back to rewrite the first book I plan on crowd funding, I decided that its series was going to exist in this Universe that I’d been working on, but I immediately realized that I faced the problem of IPs that I did not own were firmly integrated into the DNA of my stories. Solution? I pull out all the IPs that I do not own and write my own versions to take their place. That’s right…I plan on doing an several series of books that will fill the roles of the videogame and anime IPs that I do not own, because some of the characters and settings are integral, so I just have to make my own versions that are different but have the same spirit.

      Perfect example is Washu from Tenchi Muyo. I was big in the thick of the Tenchi fanfic community back in the day, so writing Washu was second nature to me, and she has become an integral supporting character for all the original IP characters I use. I love Washu, but she is not mine, therefore, I’ll need to make my own version, because what she brought to the stories was fantastic and fun.

      So what I’m promising my future public is a vast and varied array of universe building stories that will eventually lead to what I consider the main story that I plan to tell. I want to give everyone a universe to lose themselves in. The first five book series I plan to deliver are the gateway. Through out all of it will be hints and sprinkles of the larger universe I want to invite everyone to enjoy. I am excited to introduce all of this to everyone, and I can’t wait to really get it going…

      …but as I said, I gotta earn trust first. Sure, I’ll make personal videos to talk about it, and when I get to live streaming I’ll talk about it if asked, but it will be a build until later this year when I feel the time is right to start the crowdfund.

      K, I went on longer in this post than I had intended.

      #203694

      Tonight’s FNT has boosted activity here, so I’m bumping this for visibility.

      I look forward to using the new G+G app to further this project.

      #203718

      Do you have any examples of things you have written? I’m not a writer, but I do enjoy reading. I’ve even heard Brandon Sanderson say self publishing is probably a better way to go these days.

      if you can get YouTubers like Daniel Greene to review your work it’ll also go a long way to building an audience.

      #203721

      Do you have any examples of things you have written? I’m not a writer, but I do enjoy reading. I’ve even heard Brandon Sanderson say self publishing is probably a better way to go these days.

      if you can get YouTubers like Daniel Greene to review your work it’ll also go a long way to building an audience.

       

      Any work that was actually public was merely fanfics from eons ago, and even if they could be found outside my own files (and I only keep them for nostalgia and idea repurposing), they are not representative of my current skill level writing style wise. Even if you could find the first Lunar fanfic I wrote at 16, I’d gouge your eyes out before you could read it ;) 24 years makes a difference in style and technique. Yes, over that 24 years I was part of the Tenchi fanfic elites, but even my best work there is not good technique wise to what I can do now. The stories and character work are fine, but my writing mechanics were neophyte. Back then I had no personal voice, merely copying the styles of favorite authors.

      Anything sorta available is not only not up to date with my current skill level, but they are going to be rewritten to fit into what I plan on doing. In the one place they currently exist, I plan on soon removing them.

      This is part of the trick in going through with this venture. Essentially being a new author, I have nothing to show off to really prove my worth outside of my word. Which is why I’m going to take likely most of 2021 to build a YouTube/platform audience/base that will be willing to give me a chance. The first book I plan on putting out to crowd fund has been finished for months, and it’s a good chance I’ll have one to two more done before I even start the first crowd fund (yes…I am a fast writer once I get going and have nothing else to do), which will have me done with more than half of this 5 book series. That being said, once the crowd fund is started, I’ll likely release some teaser material. And once a physical copy reaches the hands of those that funded the book, I’ll probably do digital version, because as an independent publisher, it’s not like I have the power or resources to constantly print physical copies to sell.

      As we’ve all learned from watching Comicsgate, printers print specific amounts. There will probably be the amount that goes to the backers initially and leftovers for damaged books, the in demand store or maybe an ebay store. But after that, new comers will likely have to get a digital version for the time being until perhaps my printing circumstances change.

      And if things go well and we get to Stage 2 and a second crowd fund, then things can be taken up a notch like with comicsgate books where there is enough interest created that I can risk offering extra doodads as stretch goals like key chains, cloth maps, etc. I’ve given this all alot of thought, but I know there is more to make it work that I have not even considered, which is why I think many mind working on this is a good idea.

      But as I said, this is going to be a large mountain to climb starting out, which is why I fully believe in a Comicsgate like network being formed to not only help me but others who are ready to move to a professional level.

      And I have respect for Sanderson, since he did a find job of finishing up the Wheel of Time. I’ve never read any of his original works, but I barely read anything new these days anyways. Last time I read a few new books was back in 2017, and one series I read ended up being thoroughly disappointed in when I reached it conclusion. About the only thing I’m looking forward to reading right now are the remaining Poldark books that were used in the recent TV series.

      As for Daniel Greene, I don’t know who that is, but I’ll be perfectly happy to hear his opinion once the book is out there for public consumption. If I learned anything from my pre-readers during my rewrite last year, I can take constructive criticism if it is there to be made.

      These are f’d up times we are in, and more than ever people need escapism. Lord knows alot of us who come here are going to need it in the coming years, as will countless others.

      I believe myself, and others with talent, should step up and step in to provide that. I think I’m up to the task once I get my footing in all this, and I know there are others out there too.

      • This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Roas.
      #204056

      https://nypost.com/2021/01/07/penn-elector-objector-hawley-loses-book-deal-after-capitol-siege/

      Right here. This is why we cannot allow our writing destinies to be placed in the hands of legacy publishing anymore. If you have a differing opinion from their agenda…

      BOOM!

      Sorry, no more book deal.

      This is why we have to move away from traditional legacy means of entertainment production, in this case books, and show them that they are not the be all end all arbiters of who gets to create content for people to enjoy.

      More than ever I feel I’ve made the right decision to move forward on my own.

      #204067

      I am kind of in the same position as you. I am writing and putting stuff out into the world. Building a fan-base is a mofo on your own.

       

      I have been having a similar idea as you for publishing novels. If you could even get a network of 100 people buying in and getting the word out,  I think you could get enough traction to build into something.

      I am willing to be a part of what you are talking from both sides (author and supporter). Almost all agents are woke. I got a children’s fantasy novel rejected because I didnt have enough ‘people of color’ even though I only mentioned the skin color of one character (lol)

      I’m mentally retarded when it comes to getting the word out and marketting, but I feel like I am a savant when it comes to editing. So, if you (or should I say we) get enough writers involved, I can help clean up novels and get the writing on point.

      But yeah. This needs to happen. Books actually matter because popular books get made into movies and videogames.

      #204691
      Anonymous

        In the coming month, as I teach myself several of the skills I do not fully possess to do it right on a technical front


        @Roas
        May I ask what skills? I have been working on this “self-publishing” idea for a while now in a variety of formats: music, indie game, fiction, and a Creative Commons RPG system. (I didn’t do so well in the music side of things, but I learned a lot.) I’ll be happy to share what I learned. I can also post any resources that I have collected regarding same. What kind of publishing? Crowd fund or self-publish?

        Entertaining, yes! I was thinking about a channel revolving around creating worlds with a focus on RPG table-top gaming. I am thinking that more people will get pulled into that hobby in the near future due to: Hollywood’s collapse and the trend of audiences wanting an active part of the storytelling experience, not just a passive absorption role.

        I’m personally committed to doing this, because at this point there is no other path for me to take.

        Same here. I have several writing ciphers intended to look like magical RPG scripts which are in prototype form. I also have a sketch for a DieselFantasySciFiPunk world. The IP I would like to place into Creative Commons.

        but I immediately realized that I faced the problem of IPs that I did not own

        Thank you for recognizing the legals aspects of writing. So many fanfic people ignore that part. Hugely important.

        Back then I had no personal voice, merely copying the styles of favorite authors.

        That’s what we all do. Originality is unrecognized plagiarism. Also see, “Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon. Regarding CrowdFunding, I was thinking about using ShipStation.com and IndieGogo together, or something equivalent.

        Regarding funding, Nick Rekieta just put out a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PAOQK31w2k) talking about the two banks whom have cut off ties with Trump and/or people whom have not supported Biden’s presidency. GAB also has issues with Mastercard. As this is a religion, there is going to be push back from a variety of levels — particularly if they feel there are no ramifications. Have a plan B.

        As we’ve all learned from watching Comicsgate, printers print specific amounts.

        Not always. See [1] “Print on Demand with Book Partners allows you to print as few as one book. Orders are processed as you receive them and shipped directly to the customer. Direct web-to-print options may be available for your orders.” I have NOT used this service. There is also eBooks and Ingram Sparks [2].

        offering extra doodads as stretch goals like key chains, cloth maps, etc. I

        Maps! We love maps. Not sure why. Must be a fantasy thing.

        which is why I think many mind working on this is a good idea.

        Agreed. Having a “collective knowledge base”, even if it’s in these forums, will help everyone. This is the time when new franchises replace old franchises. A changing of the guard. I’m inspired to learn that there are others like me.

        And I have respect for Sanderson, since he did a find job of finishing up the Wheel of Time

        Holy Crap! That series is FINALLY done?! I bailed half-way through book five.

        These are f’d up times we are in, and more than ever people need escapism. Lord knows alot of us who come here are going to need it in the coming years, as will countless others.

        I believe myself, and others with talent, should step up and step in to provide that. I think I’m up to the task once I get my footing in all this, and I know there are others out there too.

        Yes, I completely agree with you on this. I’ve been reading up on pulp fiction writing for that reason. There is money to be had. And if not money, a fan base. And if not a fanbase, a humming typewriter with a tea drinking creative behind it.

        [1] https://www.bookpartners.com/services/print-on-demand/
        [2] https://selfpublishing.com/ingramspark/

        #204801

        That’s so funny because I was just starting to pick writing back up to get my mind off politics. I was thinking about crowdfunding or self publishing. I’ve never written a full book before but I came pretty close when I was writing fanfiction during the brony craze. If you think finding a none woke publishing firm would be difficult (and even if they weren’t I’d still lose creative control) then maybe when the time comes you can help me get the book published assuming I ever finish. Outside of fan fiction I’ve never attempted to write a full length fantasy novel before or any novel for that matter. However I feel like I have the creative capacity to tell a riveting story that holds no punches

        #204815

        That’s so funny because I was just starting to pick writing back up to get my mind off politics. I was thinking about crowdfunding or self publishing. I’ve never written a full book before but I came pretty close when I was writing fanfiction during the brony craze. If you think finding a none woke publishing firm would be difficult (and even if they weren’t I’d still lose creative control) then maybe when the time comes you can help me get the book published assuming I ever finish. Outside of fan fiction I’ve never attempted to write a full length fantasy novel before or any novel for that matter. However I feel like I have the creative capacity to tell a riveting story that holds no punches

         

        I will never tell anyone not to try and find it in themselves to create something. It has to start with you, though, and it has to be a project and IP you are passionate about.

        The best advice I can give is to keep working with fanfiction as your proving ground for practice, because that is the kind of writing arena that is the most forgiving. Good or bad criticism is easiest to handle in that setting, because any set backs are not coming at a professional level. Find a series that still lights a fire in you belly, come up with a great original idea to fit into the setting, and then throw yourself into it.

        All my first novel length books were done with fanfiction, and my style evolved over each and every one. And even when I put my own original IP to words for the first time in 2002, it was not ready for prime time even though I thought it was. Even years later when I did a semi-rewrite, in retrospect it was not as good as I thought it was on both a technical and proper story level. It was not until last April when I sat down and did a full and proper rewrite from page one that it blossomed into the proper version it now exists as, and that was thanks to the hard work I still put into the four other books I put out between 2004 and 2016.

        And technically these books were rooted in a form of fanfiction I called fusion fiction, because while they had IPs from videogames, anime, and old D&D stuff, it was still 80% original characters and events created by me with partnership with a few other people. These books are going to be rewritten in the coming years once I fill in the gaps left by the IPs I don’t own, so all my hard work in terms of story and world building will not have gone to waste.

        One of the only big hiccups will come in the way of that I hope that by the time I get to it, I will be in a position where I can either buy or lease the rights to the Glaive from Krull….because good god damned I wanna use it. I’m hoping that because Krull is so cult and out of the lime light, that I can accomplish this task, and the Glaive is a part of the DNA of my universe. I can make something new and similar if I have to, but I think it’s possible to actually get the rights in some way shape or form.

        But I digress….

        I believe that this network could also serve as a breeding ground for people to help one another to learn how to get to a professional level, as well as be a good community. I wish I’d had something like that back during my Tenchi fanfic days, because that community was so fractured in terms of cliques. As popular and successful as I was, because I was not a part of the original “Old Guard” of Tenchi fanfic writers, I was a little gated from certain things. It was only the popularity of my series of stories that forced them to acknowledge me, and I have the Kiyos to prove it ;)

         

        kiyo2002_action   kiyo2003_action  kiyo2004_action

         

        I never won best OAV cuz I wasn’t in the old guard. They always gave it to one of their own, even if the fic was incomplete. But for the three years the Kiyos happened, I owned best action.

        So by bringing this to the front, I also now hope this network can serve the purpose of nurturing talent as well as publishing ready talent.

         

        #204885
        Anonymous

          The only difference between fanfic and a staff writing position is a paycheck.


          @Dash_Attack
          , there are quite a few “how to self-publish” ebooks out there. I can grab a few titles if your interested. This latest AWS scandal threw me for a curve as I was planning on going exclusive Amazon. No more. Other than that, traditional American novels are 50k-60k words. There is a demand for 2 1/2 hour plus read. Sci-Fi is loosing it’s draw, but Fantasy is up [1]. I picked up the SciFi/Fantasy and the short story (2019) products. Interesting to go through.

          Let me know what aspect of self-publishing that you are interested in. I’ll go through my notes.

          There is a demand. If you have the passion and persistence, it’s a nice plan B to have.

           

          [1] https://k-lytics.com/shop/

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